|
 Asparagus was once quite popular in Russia, especially among high society; asparagus dishes were considered a delicacy and were expensive. Nowadays, asparagus is practically not grown in our country as a vegetable, although in the European part of Russia there are at least eight of its wild-growing species, and in some flower beds, asparagus is bred as an ornamental plant. However, only one species is used for food - common asparagus, it is medicinal, it is also pharmacy.
Its young shoots (which go to the table in the form of salads and other dishes) include beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A), asparagine (an amino acid first isolated from asparagus and named after its Latin name "asparagus"), potassium salts , a large amount of vitamin C. Asparagus has a delicate specific taste, and distinguishes between white shoots (the earliest, with a high content of nutrients) and green (later, already appeared above the ground). Asparagus sprouts are an excellent food variety and table decoration.
Those who decide to grow asparagus on their own plot should remember that the best way to breed it is from seeds, although you can also try growing from rhizomes. But it is impossible to determine the type of plant by the roots, so it is better to purchase seeds in a special store; however, then a full harvest should be expected only in the third year after sowing. Asparagus grows well on lighted, fertile soils, sometimes slightly saline. For planting, you must first apply fertilizer - up to 10 kg of humus or compost per 1 sq. m; you can also add about 100 g of universal vegetable fertilizer and add 0.3-0.5 kg of sand or chalk to the soil.
The ridge is dug up, harrowed, leveled. Sowing is carried out in late May - early June; it is advisable to plant already germinated seeds, for which they are soaked in warm water and kept at an optimal temperature for about a week, maintaining moisture. Sprouted seeds are sown to a depth of about 2 cm; seedlings may appear as early as 7-10 days or, depending on weather conditions, on the 10-20th day.
In the future, it is necessary to water, weed and thin out the bushes. The most developed are left, with an interval of about 15 cm. The first feeding is done a month after the shoots have appeared: each square meter is watered with a solution of 20 g of ammonium nitrate in a bucket of water. The same composition is used for subsequent monthly feedings.
After the first year of growing season, it is necessary to transplant the grown plants to a permanent place. Asparagus can grow for 15-25 years, supplying its hosts with its shoots every year.
Shoots are collected in early spring, in April - May, so you need to find a place in an open space, from which the snow quickly melts and the ground is well warmed up by the spring sun. In the first winter after sowing, it is necessary to cover the bushes with a layer of compost, especially if the cultivation takes place in areas with little snow.
In the spring, they are dug out, selecting the largest ones, with 5-7 branches, and planted in a place prepared in advance from the fall, deeply dug up, fertilized with humus or peat. Subsequently, it will be necessary to remove the female plants so that their seeds do not scatter over the site and do not germinate in unnecessary places. In the spring, the area allotted for asparagus is loosened and fertilized - per 1 sq. m 50 g of superphosphate, 20 g of saltpeter and 50-60 g of ash.
The overwintered bushes are planted as soon as the ground thaws enough. With an interval of 1 m, deep grooves are made, up to 25 cm, into which seedlings are placed every 40-50 cm, completely covering with soil.
In early May, shoots appear above the ground; they are cut off at the very base and covered with earth, waiting for the next shoots to appear.during the summer, care includes watering, fertilizing and weeding.
In the first year, no more than 5 shoots are cut from the bush; in the third year, 10-15 young shoots can be obtained from one plant. In autumn, the aboveground parts of the bushes, reaching 1-1.5 m, are removed and the rhizomes are covered with a layer of soil with compost, preparing for wintering and harvesting the next year.
Nadezhda Georgievna
Asparagus dishes:
|
